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суббота, 12 ноября 2011 г.

One of the most puzzling words in the English language

Here's a word that has multiple meanings, some of which have nothing to do with each other. Yet, this word is used in English almost every day. It can be a verb or a noun, depending on the context. You can give it to your dog, especially when you're training it. Using this expression you can let your friend know that you're going to pay for her at the restaurant. Finally, you find this word in the name of a very common American Halloween tradition. Did you guess what it is?

Of course, it's "TREAT."

So here are 7 major ways you can use the word "treat":

"A treat" is a gift, a celebration, a note of special treatment. You can give a treat to a dog (usually it is referred to its favorite thing to eat) as a part of successful training or just to spoil it!

"It's my treat" - this is an expression that is generally used in a cafe or a restaurant when you say that you're willing to pay for your guest/friend, etc. You can also use the same phrase when you're volunteering to do something and cover the cost yourself, i.e.: "You don't have to pay for this boat ride. I got it covered. It's my treat." PS: Sometimes we can simply say, "My treat."

"To treat somebody" means to act towards somebody in a certain way, i.e. "He is my father, and I will always treat him with respect."

"To treat somebody to something": this is an extension of rule #2. If you "treat somebody to dinner" it means you pay for the cost of dinner.

"To treat somebody" can also be used in the medical world. "My friend is now being treated for cancer" means that she is in hospital and is going through a series of medical procedures.

"Treatment" is the way you act towards somebody or something. A very good expression is "to give somebody the red-carpet treatment": it means to treat somebody with special care. For more information on "red carpet" you can click here.

"Trick or treating" is the American Halloween tradition. The origins of this tradition go back to the Medieval Europe. The old name of this tradition is "souling." The core of the tradition is people, dressed in a variety of costumes, go door-to-door asking for food in exchange for their prayers for the dead souls. The tradition was practiced around November 1, on the so-called "All Saints Day" or "All Hallows Day", later named "Halloween."

Please, make sure you remember these words in context. Pulling them out of context is not helpful as it won't teach you how to use them in real-life situations. I hope this has been helpful. If you'd like to be notified of any word-study lessons and also receive free quizzes along with these articles, please, sign up for our Magic 10 course by clicking here.